The New York Times is reporting that the Obama White House has confirmed that Republican Senator Judd Gregg is indeed at the top of the list for Secretary of Commerce and the announcement could come as early as Monday.

As for the question of whether this appointment would get the Democrats to the magic number 60, that is still unclear.

Mr. Gregg's selection could also open the door to a significant shift in the balance of power in Congress. There are now 58 Democrats in the Senate; the number will rise to 59 if Al Franken of Minnesota is seated after the legal challenge to the race results is completed.

If Gov. John Lynch of New Hampshire, a Democrat, replaced Mr. Gregg with a member of his own party, that would put the Democratic majority at 60 -- a magic number in the Senate because it is the number of votes needed to control the legislative agenda and block a filibuster.

But there are no guarantees that Mr. Lynch would pick a Democrat: New Hampshire is a state that prizes its political independence, and Mr. Lynch is a moderate. Some analysts say the governor could turn to a well-regarded Republican --Warren Rudman, a former senator from New Hampshire, has been mentioned -- to serve as a kind of "caretaker senator" to fill out the remainder of Mr. Gregg's term, which expires at the end of 2010.

Sources have acknowledged Gregg's reluctance to take the appointment if it means he'll be replaced with a Democrat.

A main factor in whether Mr. Gregg accepts the commerce position, these officials say, is a commitment from Mr. Lynch that he strongly consider a Republican or an independent for the Senate seat.

Although, really, one can't really imagine his turning it down regardless. Hell, he's a Senator in the minority and is the only Republican left in Congress from New Hampshire; the writing is on the wall.